Gas Tax Measure Could Mean $200 Million for County Roads : June ballot: Work on linking the Simi Valley and Moorpark freeways could begin this year, officials say.

If voters approve a June ballot measure to raise the gasoline tax for statewide transportation projects, Ventura County could receive more than $200 million over the next 10 years for road construction, state and county officials said this week.

As a result, work on one of the county’s long-awaited highway projects--connecting the Simi Valley and Moorpark freeways in Moorpark--could begin by the end of the year, officials said.

Plans to connect the two freeways have been ongoing for nearly six years, said Jack Hallin, Caltrans director of construction and maintenance projects in Ventura County.

“If Proposition 111 goes through, we could begin work by the end of 1990,” Hallin said. “If not, the project could be delayed a year--or years.”

The $30.4-million freeway link is one of several Ventura County priority projects that could be financed, in part, by Proposition 111 funds. The June ballot measure would raise the gas and diesel tax by 5 cents a gallon, and an additional penny a gallon every year for the next four years.

Gov. George Deukmejian, usually opposed to tax increases, has thrown his full support behind the measure, saying that the demand for new and improved highways and mass transit systems has overwhelmed the state’s ability to fund such projects.

The governor has said that Proposition 111 is the state’s best chance in the near future to relieve traffic congestion.

“I hope it passes,” said Bill Golubics, deputy director of Simi Valley’s Public Works Department. “We certainly see it as an important need, particularly for regional transportation.”

Golubics said that connecting the Simi Valley and Moorpark freeways would alleviate “an extreme burden of traffic all along” the Moorpark Freeway south of Olsen Road. He said additional funds could also go toward improving various interchanges along the Moorpark Freeway as well as other local road projects. If approved, Proposition 111 is expected to generate an estimated $18.5 billion for statewide transportation projects over the next 10 years. Hallin said the measure would ensure that Ventura County would receive at least $20 million a year for new projects.

It is estimated that $1.35 billion is needed for Ventura County roadway construction, according to state and county officials.

Some of Ventura County’s priority projects include the widening of the Saticoy Bridge; the widening of California 126 from Fillmore to the Los Angeles County line; the widening of California 118 from Moorpark to Oxnard; the widening of Lewis Road--California 34--from the Ventura Freeway to California 118; and the widening of the Ventura Freeway from Seacliff to the Santa Barbara County line.

“If Proposition 111 is not passed, we will not be able to afford any of this,” Hallin said. “It is very essential to Ventura County projects, and some really needed projects.”

Without the extra funds, most existing money would probably go toward maintenance and repair rather than new road construction, causing indefinite delays for many of the major projects, Hallin said.

But getting the new tax proposal passed may not be easy. A recent Times poll found that only 36% of registered voters in the state are supporting the measure, with 49% opposed and 15% undecided. Most of those opposed are low-income, blue-collar workers and women.

Hallin said it is still too early to predict how voters will react to the new tax proposal.

“We feel when the public finds out what will be built if this goes through, we’ll get a positive vote,” Hallin said.

Officials from the Ventura County Transportation Commission, who have proposed a half-cent sales tax increase to supplement its current roadway funds, are keeping a close eye on the public opinion polls.

“In general, people in this county are skeptical about taxes and government,” said Mary Travis, Transportation Commission senior planner. “They want to make sure they are getting the most return for their tax dollar.”

The Ventura County tax, an extra half-cent on every dollar in addition to the current 6% sales tax, would raise $25 million per year over the next 20 years for road construction. Ideally, this money would supplement Proposition 111 funds, Travis said.

If approved by the county Board of Supervisors and a majority of the county’s 10 cities, the half-cent sales tax proposal would be placed on the November ballot.

Travis said the county has just completed a number of public workshops in the region’s 10 cities to get citizen input on various roadway projects and proposals. The testimony will now be sent back to the 10 cities for review.

Once the individual city councils have voted on the ballot proposal, the county Board of Supervisors will then decide whether to support the measure.

“Ventura County is in very bad shape transportation-wise,” Travis said, adding that if Proposition 111 fails, it would make the need for local funding “all the more urgent.”

ROADWAY PROJECTS

The following is a list of some of Ventura County’s major priority roadway projects that would be funded, in part, by the proposed state gasoline tax hike. Some of the money would go to complete projects already in progress, such as the widening of California 126.

Connecting of Simi Valley Freeway and California 23. Est. cost: $30.4 million.

Widening of the Saticoy Bridge from two lanes to four lanes. Est. cost: $15.7 million.

Widening of California 126 to four lanes from Fillmore to the Los Angeles County line. Est. cost: $27.3 million.

Widening of California 118 to four lanes from Moorpark to Oxnard. Est. cost: $40 million.

Widening of Ventura Freeway to six lanes between Seacliff and Santa Barbara County line. Est. cost: $25-million.

Widening of Lewis Road, California 34, to four lanes from the Ventura Freeway to Route 118. Est. cost: $6-8 million.